Under the Strange Circumstances
by Leah N. Cross
Summary: Sheldon feels a little left out when Leonard unexpectedly gets Penny pregnant. As Leonard and Penny raise their daughter Grace, it surprises them that the person they can count on most to help them is Dr. Sheldon Cooper himself.
1. Chapter 1

"_The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched….but are felt in the heart." - _Helen Keller

"Just a Spoon full of Knowledge Helps the Oatmeal Go Down"

Sheldon didn't know how he felt when Leonard and Penny first announced they were going to have a child. They weren't married or anything but logically Sheldon knew it was a gift and a very amazing thing. It was a joyous thing, his friend was going to start his own family but at the same time, he felt a feeling of abandonment and jealousy. It was almost childish really, but Sheldon couldn't help himself.

He loved so innocently it was like being a child. He just did what he could to be the best he could be for his friends. Though they didn't really seem to need his help, Sheldon always volunteered his time to do anything at all. Carry the baby, feed her, send her to bed, read her a bedtime story, or even just watch her for a few minutes, but every time, they refused him.

It was almost insulting, the many times he offered his services, not once did the new parents take it. Not once! Sheldon only wanted to help. He was just as much their family as she was. It wasn't fair and it seemed as if life would always be like that, until one day…

"Grace, sweetie," Penny begged, "Please eat _something_. You have to! You haven't eaten all day."

"No!" the two year old cried stubbornly, crossing her little arms. She stuck out her dark pink lip, trying to show she meant business. Her little eyebrows were pushed together making her forehead wrinkle and it only made matters worse.

"Okay listen you little pink mash of me!" Penny finally snapped, pointing the plastic toddler spoon at her daughter. You would think a mother raising her voice would frighten a toddler, but Grace was smart. She knew she really wasn't really in trouble, so she laughed instead. "You have been sitting in my woub for, I don't know, a little over nine months and it wasn't pleasant. That makes me the mommy and you the baby and the baby has to listen to the mommy and Mommy says, EAT!"

Two year old Grace Hofstadter, had her father's brain and her mother's attitude. This was _not_ a good combination and Grace broke into tears laughing so hard. It was hearing the commotion, Leonard left his bedroom, and entered the kitchen, "What's going on in here?"

"I'm sorry Leonard," Penny cried frustrated. Finally giving up, she threw down the spoon, "I know I said I could handle feeding her so you can finish your work but she just won't eat anything I give her." Gesturing toward Leonard she says more sincerely, "she wants her Dad."

"Still?" Leonard asks, growing a little concerned she hadn't eaten all day. "How about it sweetie?" He asks approaching his daughter. He picks up the spoon and shovels up a small portion of brown mush. The sweet smell of brown sugar _was_ tempting her, but still she refused. As soon as Leonard offered the oatmeal to her, she turned her head.

"No!" she cried again.

"Please Gracy," Leonard begged, "For daddy. Just one bite."

"NO!" she cried again, pushing away his hand. "I don' wan it!"

Sheldon was watching carefully as he took a sip of his coffee, studying the child's reactions.

"Grace please," Leonard plead but she just shook her head. "Are you sick, honey? Are you not feeling well?" He got up and went to the cupboard to look for the thermometer and as he did Sheldon approached the miniaturized sized person.

"You have to eat you know?" Sheldon whispered to her in his normal monotone voice. Grace turned her attention to the thirty year old man wearing the lightning bolt t shirt. She didn't really know him, but she had a strong feeling he was apart of her family. "You should just do as they say, instead of incessantly denying food, you so obviously want." Sheldon awkwardly picked up the spoon and just like her parents offered her some, but amazingly this time she didn't just flat out deny it.

Instead she just looked at the hot oatmeal and turned her attention back to the strange man offering her food. "Why?" she asked him. She wasn't really sure what he said, but asking 'why?' was how she responded to everything, she didn't understand.

"Because if you don't the acids in your stomach will start to bubble and stir, kind of like in a pot when your mother makes soup. The stomach acids starts to rise and then burns the walls of your stomach until it will eventually make a hole and it'll pour out into your body, and you will slowly die painfully, drowning in your own fluids."

Don't ask how but by some impossible way, Grace, sort of, understood what he was talking about, and slowly took the bite from Sheldon. Penny and Leonard both watched amazed as Grace licked her lips and swallowed down the hot cereal. "What's a-acid?" Grace asked stumbling over the word a little.

"A chemical substance that neutralizes alkalis, dissolves some metals, and turns litmus red," Sheldon answered, shoveling another spoonful of oatmeal.

Grace didn't understand that at all but she was somehow satisfied with the answer and took another bite. With food still in her mouth she asked, "What's a chem… chem…?"

"A chemical is a compound or substance that has been purified or prepared, especially artificially."

Grace took another bite. This continued on and on. Grace would ask a question and Sheldon would answer it until there was one bite left. Grace just had one more question to ask, "Shell?" It was her own personal nickname for him, because she couldn't pronounce Sheldon.

"Yes dear?" Sheldon asked in his monotone voice, already ready with the spoon.

"Watch TV wit me, please," she asked.

Sheldon smiled genuinely before answering, "Sure."

Grace smiled taking the last bite.

Sheldon picked up the empty bowl victoriously as he headed toward the sink. He was surprised when he felt a strong pat on the back, but relaxed when he realized it was only Leonard. As Sheldon washed the bowl thoroughly, Leonard smiled. "Thank you."

Sheldon smiled back and almost humanly answered, "That's what friends are for."

Yes, at times maybe Grace makes Sheldon feel a bit envious from the attention she gets but at the same time Sheldon is alright with it, because just the same Sheldon understands why they do it. Grace is a smart and special kid and even Sheldon feels the honor of watching her grow up in this crazy world, of course under the strange circumstances.

...

DEDICATED TO MY BABY COUSIN! She is only two and already she is saying things like "Grandma! Yor grandaughter is herrasing me!"


	2. Chapter 2

Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing." ― Elie Wiesel

"The Spot"

"That's my spot," Sheldon muttered in horror. Lunch time had just began and everyone was just getting ready to eat. The plates were being passed to each other and food was being distributed. Grace didn't even flinched as she readjusted herself so that she was taking the whole cushion, as if to hoard it for herself. She didn't even bother herself to take notice to Sheldon's existence, who was just staring at her in both confusion and devastation, mouth completely dropped. Penny had just walked by when Sheldon pointed at Grace. "Penny, the product of your egg had just violated the seating arrangements."

"Sheldon, there were never any seating arrangements," Leonard argued. Too tired to deal with this. "It was stupid we let you get away with that rule for so long."

"I'm sorry," Sheldon muttered irritably. "I didn't know you thought this rule of mine wasn't fair. Why don't we start sharing things, like girlfriends, and comic books, or even, if I may, judgement ideas when some People Take Other People's SPOTS!"

"I'm good with sharing girlfriends," said Howard, but Bernadette gave him swift elbow to the ribs. Howard cringed at the attack and quickly followed with, "Kidding! Kidding!" Bernadette rolled her eyes at her husband as Raj simply laughed under his breath.

Leonard sat down next to his daughter, glaring at Sheldon mildly, warding him off, "Be nice, Sheldon." Leonard then gave his full attention to Grace, who was insisting to take the fork for herself. After a while Leonard just gave up and allowed her to feed herself. Sheldon begrudgingly sat in Leonard's usual seat. He had to admit it was nice and cushiony, the TV was at an angle but he didn't mind because show they were watching, Sheldon decided, wasn't worth wasting any of his precious brains cells on. He could converse with his friends nicely and it was… _What was that!_? Suddenly he could feel a draft on his neck. He determined the seat was unacceptable. Immediately he stood back up.

"No Grace needs to move," Sheldon commanded. He knelt down so he was at her level. Again she doesn't even look. She's too focused on the plate in front of her. "You need to move." Leonard watched with disdain.

"Sheld-" Leonard began but stopped when he felt something grip his arm tight.

Penny looked at the two with full concentration, whispering to Leonard, "Wait I want to see this."

It was like watching two toddlers fighting. Granted one of them was an actual toddler. "Grace you need to give me my spot back."

She doesn't answer.

Sheldon knocks on the table three times. "Grace?"

Again she doesn't answer.

Knock. Knock. Knock. "_Grace_?"

Grace picks up a sweet corn with her fingers and silently begins to chew on it.

Knock. Knock. Knock. "_Grace!_"

"Sheldon!" Leonard finally shouted. Again he gave Sheldon this protective Papa bear warning glare. It worked. Sheldon sank back into silence, but that didn't mean he was going to back down, because he wasn't.

Readjusting himself, Sheldon attempts to be the adult in the situation. He folds his arms and just like her mother used to do it, gave her an authoritative glare. "Grace Beverly Hofstadter," Sheldon warned, "I am giving you to the count of three to get up an-"

Suddenly Grace stuck out her tongue and made a very loud, very noticeable farting noise. Spit flew from her lips and sprayed all over his face. For a small moment Sheldon jumped back in surprise as if he had just been surprised by a sprayer of poison. The next he looked at Grace with complete and utter shock, even worse to when he realized she had taken his spot.

"You just spit on me!" Sheldon yelled as the others laughed silently, and without another word Sheldon ran to the bathroom as if life depended on it, because apparently it would and just like that Grace looked up at her mother.

"Like that Mommy?" she smiled proudly.

Penny smiled at her daughter very proud as she gave her daughter an extra cream cheese puff as a reward. "That was perfect sweet heart! Mommy's very proud!"

Leonard kissed his girlfriend for her genius and then his daughter. "Oh my girls!" Leonard laughed going back to his food.

READER'S NOTE-

Okay this one wasn't as good, but you guys get the point. I will make longer ones when they get a little more serious, but I feel like Sheldon needs someone to hang out with! Lol Don't you agree. Okay so I've completely ran out of ideas, but I want to continue. SO! To those of you out there who like this. Inspire me please! No idea is stupid!

REVIEW!


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